Robert b



(No Model.)

R. B. LA PFERTY.

GBNTRIPUGAL MACHINE.

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N. PETERS PhowLxuwmphnr. washingmn, D. C,

Nirnn STATES ROBERT B. LAFFERTY, OF GLOUCESTER, NEV JERSEY.

CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 364,941, dated Julie14, 1887.

Application filed January i2, 1887. Serial No. 225,107. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Bc it known that I, ROBERT B. LAFFERTY, a citizen of the United States,residing in Gloucester, Camden county, New Jersey, have invented certainImprovements in Centrifugal Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

My :invention relates to that class of centrifugal machinesin which theliquid portions of the mass subjected to the action of the machine aredischarged through the perforated cage, while the dry or partially-driedgramilar portions of the mass are discharged over the top of the cage.

My invention comprises certain features in the construction of themachine whereby the area of the outlet for the granular portions of themass is readily increased or diminished, and the jamming of the granularmass in the cage before reaching said outlet is prevented, thestructure, moreover, being of simple and economical construction andcomprising but few parts.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical section of acentrifugal machineconstructed in accordance with my invention; and Fig.2, avsectional plan View on the line l 2, Fig. l.

A is the outer xed vessel or caslng, within which is contained therotating cage B, carried by a shaft, D, which is adapted to a bearing inthe bottom of the vessel A and rests upon a suitable step on the flooror foundation upon which the machine is erected, rotary motion beingapplied to this shaft from any convenientV counter-shaft by a beltadapted to a pulley, a, or in any other manner which may be found mostconvenient under the clrcuinstances.

rlhe cage B consists of the base b, secured to the shaft D, and an outerperforated wall, (l, which is in the form of an inverted frustum of acone, the lower edge of which is securely bolted to the base b, andconfined thereto by means of a ring, c, while the upper portion of thecage is stiffened and strengthened by means of' an outer ring, f, of Ushape or other equivalent form in cross-section. I

Centrally located within the cage B is a receiver, F, into which isd1scharged the fluid or semi-lluid mass to be drained, this receiverbeing in the form of a cylinder or bell, the lower end of which is somedistance from the bottom of the cage and has a flange, g, to which isbolted the lower end of an inverted conical retaining-plate, G, theupper end, mf, of' which is flared outwardly, so as to project over theupper edge of the body of the cage and its stiffeningrng, deflection ofthe said upper end, m, ofthe retaining-plate being prevented by means ofa bracing-ring, mf', cX- tending inwardly therefrom to a flange, t, onthe receiver.

The base I) of the cage has a central boss or projection, h, above whichthe shaft D projects to some distance, and the receiver F has a hollowhub, J, the lower portieri of which fits snugly to said boss h, and isrecessed for the reception of projecting splines or feathers j therein,the upper portion of the hub having an opening, 7c, for the reception ofthe npper end of the shaft D. It will therefore be seen that thereceiver F and retaining-plate G are caused to rotate with and at thesame rate of speed as the cage B of the machine, and that saidretaining-plate is rigidly held in its proper position in respect to thecage by reason of the extended bearing afforded by the long hub of thereceiver.

The fluid or semi-fluid mass from which the liquid contents are to bedrained is permitted to flow continuously into the receiver F, andpasses beneath the bottom of the same and up through the flaring annularspace x, between the lining of the cage and the internal retainingplate,G. During its passage upwardly through this space the liquid portions ofthe mass are, owing to centrifugal force,

caused to escape through the meshes of the is dependent upon 'the areaof this dischargeopening, and in order that this opening Vmay be variedto accord with the character of they ure of thc material-upon the plateG causing said hub to ,bcar rmly against the set-screw, by manipulatingwhich, therefore, the vertical positionof the retaining-plate inVrespect to the cage may be readily varied and the area of theoutlet-opening at the top of the cage regulated as desired.

In the present instance the yoke K is carried by an annular rim, M,which surrounds and overhangs the upper portion of the vessel A, andserves to receive and deflect downward the materialdischarged'over theupper edge of the cage, this material being delivered onto the floor'around the vessel A, while the liquid matter delivered from the cage iscollected in a trough, I), at the bottom of said vessel and conveyedtherefrom through any suitable discharge-pipe. t

It will be observed that the retainer Gis not concentric with the outerwall of the cage B, the space between the two gradually increasing inwidth from the bottom of the passagers to the top of the same, so thatthe material is i prevented from jamming in said passage and interferingwith the 'free discharge over thel top of thecage YTheouitwardly-flaring upper portion, m, of the retainer G, forms adeiiector, the vertical position 'of which governs the discharge of thematerial over the top of the cage, and by raising and llowering thisdefiecto'r and the retainer simultaneously I insure the proper operationof the machine when the same is started. Under such circumstances thedciiecto'r bears against the upper edge yof the cage and the material isallowed to iiow into the cage until the' chamber between the cage andlretainer is filled with dry 'material,'or at least until the upperportion of said chamber is so filled Ifthe retainer was immovableand'only the deiiecting-plate adjustable, this materialwonld have Iatendency to 'stick-in the cage'and would n'ot be 'discharged properlybeneath 'the deiector When'the latter was raised 5 but by mak- 'ing thedeiiector a partV ofthe retaining-plate and jlifting the lattersimultaneously with the defiector, the dry material in the upper por--tionof'thecage is at once relieved vfrom pressu're,'a'nd there isnothing to interfere with the free'starting of 'the same as vsoon as thedeflector is lifted. y

I am aware 'that-the combination of an inverted conical perforatedbasket with an inverted conical retaining-plate withinthe same is notnew, such a combination :having been v shown,for instance, inthe machinewhich forms the subject of Letters Patent No. 158, 7 64, dated January12, 1875, in which machine, however,

the retaining-plate was not adjustable as iu my machine, and was soconstructed as to gradually contract the area of the annular spacethrough which the material was caused to rise by the action of themachine, instead of gradually increasing the area, as described in myspecification. l

I am also aware that the inverted conical perforated basket of acentrifugal machine has been combined with a deecting valve or platelocated above the rim ofthe basket, and serving to direct the solidmatters escaping over said rim into an outer receptacle independent ofthat which receives the 'liquid passing through the perforations ofthebasket,such construction beingshown in United States Patent No.59,956, dated November 27, 1866. I do not, therefore, broadly claim thisfeature; but

I claim as myinvention and desire to secure by Letters Patent` 1. Ihecombination of the self-discharging conical basket or cage of acentrifugal machine with a conical retainer contained within said cage,afdeiiector governing the flow over the delivery end of the cage, andmeans for adjusting both the retainer and the deiiector, allsubstantially as specified.

2. The combination of the self-discharging conical basket or cage of acentrifugal machine with the defiector at the delivery endv of the same,anda conical retaining-plate, the angle of which is different from thatof the outer Wall of the basket or cage, whereby the passage for thematerialis of greater size near the upper or delivery' end of the cagethan at the lower or receiving end, all substantially as specified.

3. The combination of the self-discharging conical basketv or cage of acentrifugal machine, acentral receiver within and communicatingwith thecage, a conical retainingplate carried by said receiver and daredoutwardly at the upper end to form a governingvalve for the cage, andmeans for raising and lowering said receiver, all substantially asspecified.

4. The combination of the self-discharging conical basket or cage of alcentrifugal `machine, the base of Vwhich lhas a central projection orboss thereon, the driving-shaft projecting above said base, the receiverhaving a hollow hub adapted to said boss and to the upper end of theshaft, and a conical retainingplate carried by the receiver andkconstructed to form a defiector at the delivery end of the cage, allsubstantially as specified.

5. The combination ofthe self-discharging conical basket or ycage ofacentrifuga] machine, the central receiverhaving a conicalretaining-plate forming a defiector at the delivery end of the basket,and a Xed yokehaving a set-screw bearing upon the hub of said receiver,all substantially as specified.

6. The combination of the self-discharging conical basket or cage of acentrifugal ma- IOO IIO

chine with a conical retainingplate Within to this specification in thepresence of two sub the cage, and with means for adjusting said scribingWitnesses. plate so as to enlarge or contract the ca )acity of the spacebetween the retaining-plage and ROBERT B' LAFFERTY' 5 the outel` Wall ofthe cage, all substantially as Witnesses:

specified. W ILLIAM D. CoNNER,

In testimony whereof I have signed my naine HARRY SMITH.

